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HOW WILL THE NAT--well, with the entire NL East taking the day off we already know the Nationals' ridiculously meager hopes of squeaking into the 2nd wild card spot will be bashed even further by a Reds victory tonight. I'll be watching that so that I can say:

Posted this in yesterday's Omnichatter but it was very late so I suspect nobody saw it. Matt Adams last night became only the 7th player in MLB history -- but the 2nd this year -- to hit two extra-inning homers in a game.

Whenever I see this guy's name I always think of the guy in the Jeremy Giambi trade. I know it's spelled differently, but still.

I think of his dad. Getting old sucks.

Considering the lack of games today it's not a bad slate for September. Five of the seven have playoff implications with the other two featuring teams (KC and Arizona) that are close enough that hope still exists.

Umm, yes, Ackley has some speed. But it could be the Garden Gnome Giveaway version of Dustin Ackley out there on second for all it's going to matter. Kelvin Herrera is rushing it up there and touching triple digits. He made mincemeat of Franklin Gutierrez, and now he's facing Mike Zunino.

With the shadows creeping out to the mound, Herrera in his second inning of work decides to change it up to Kyle Seager, and lofts it in at about 82 mph. Seager licks his chops, and nearly makes a para-Olympian out of Eric Hosmer as he rips it up the line. Hosmer has a good glove at first, but that ball got on him in a hurry. Tips off of him and rolls to the wall, Seager into second, 2 out, top 12.

And the Mariners strand him, now bottom of 12. And the shadows have now crept over the mound.

Louis Coleman runs in from the bullpen.
43rd player to enter the game today?
It's kinda going as expected for me: SEA@KC in a day game. Jeremy Guthrie vs Joe Saunders, I took the "over". And now that it's gone to extra innings it could just drag on till Sunday. 6-6 in the 13th, Justin Smoak removed for a pinch runner, followed by a sacrifice.

If you're looking to strand a runner, the Mariners are a pretty good candidate to do it. They've left 969 guys on base (above league average) despite having one of the worst on base percentages in the league. Only the Twins are comparably weak.

Yeah, this KC team is pretty exciting actually. If some of their more established young stars can all have a good year at the same time they really could be one of the best teams in the league next year.

Especially if Lorenzo Cain and David Lough can keep fielding like the love-children of Andruw Jones and Devon White.

Here we go in Cinci: Cingrani legs out a bunt as Lynn converges on the bag just after nabbing the toss. Cingrani's foot touched the bag milliseconds before Lynn's and I'm very surprised there wasn't a big argument about that considering what's at stake. 0-0 in the 2nd.

edit: Now Cingrani stole 2B cleanly with 2 outs. The throw bounced in and was a bit late, but...interesting.

BOS@NYY
Red Sox 8-2 in their last 10, Yankees 7-3. Yankees are 8 games behind Boston in the division, but I think only 2.5 games behind Tampa for a wild card spot?
Boston leads the league in OBP, walking, and pitches seen. They've brought that game tonight so far against Ivan Nova. Everything is down, down, and down with that guy now, but Boston is laying off it and Drake is not calling it a strike.
0-0 thru 2.

Cingrani helps his own cause representing the RBI for Phillips, 1-0 Reds.

I know some Nats fans who can't resign themselves to the fact that the Nats have less than a prayer to get into a Wild Card slot, but I'm pulling for the Cards to lose so that the Pirates stay on top. This means the Reds must win tonight. I'm good with that.

Just an observation, apropos of nothing: Tony Cingrani just plain looks like he's having fun out there. He legged out a bunt to keep the inning alive, stole 2B, and ultimately came around to score. He just smiled a bit after a pitch as if he and Hanigan knew something and is spry on his feet. I wish some other young players exhibited the same kind of joy and energy for the game.

Ellsbury with a ground rule double scores Lavarnaway. Middlebrooks has to stop at 3B, but then he comes in on a Victorino ground out.
There was an IBB in the inning, which probably helped Nova and his pitch count. He hasn't been wild, only two or three balls even in the dirt? But Red Sox are working the count, he's at 76 pitches in the 3rd. Daniel Nava works a walk, and now the bases are loaded, 2 out, Napoli steps in.

Peavy in total control sets down Overybay, and the Yankees haven't had a baserunner.
Then Ichiro hits a pitch in the RH batters box over the SS's head. (I'm with Ken Singleton, even though I've been watching it for more than a decade, I am still a little impressed with Ichiro's ability.)
Now Ichiro is on third, and Brett Gardner steals second, and up comes "The Captain."
Jeter works a walk from 0-2 hole, now bases loaded for Cano.

Lance Lynn, secret pimp, has given up 3 solo circuit clouts to the Reds, plus Cingrani's adventure around the bases, now 4-1 Reds in the fiff. He does not appear to be having as much fun as Cingrani, to be sure.

Ichiro works a full count, but cannot connect with another pitch over in the RH batters box this time.
Chris Stewart follows by quickly flying out to LF, he's 0 for his last 30 or something.
Peavy walks to the dugout still screaming at himself, and his catcher, at the ump, at a butterfly, and generally anything else.
Still 3-2 Boston, top 4.

Does that Middlebrooks no-doubter land in Oakland if hit in another park, AT&T?
And I'm not anti-Red Sox, but isn't it time to ask Victorino for a pee test? He crushed that ball, and pulled it, and it was up and away. Where is this power coming from? That's 8 of his 13 HRs this year in the last month?

Boston loads the bases in the 5th, 1 out.
Nova is long gone, Adam Warren gets a ground ball up the middle, but Jeter's footwork is not up to par, and he barely grabs the ball and gets to second to get one.
I almost feel uncomfortable watching Jeter play right now. ARod is older and slower, but there are still glimpses of ARod. Jeter is just...not very much Derek Jeter.
6-2 BOS, bott 5.

I almost feel uncomfortable watching Jeter play right now. ARod is older and slower, but there are still glimpses of ARod. Jeter is just...not very much Derek Jeter.

Right now every time Jeter comes to the plate, I think : "I hope he draws a walk !".
As for this game... need some long balls... Granderson, Soriano... Cano maybe again... if not, game over. Even though it's "I can't beat NY !"-Peavy. Good luck, Bombers !

Manny Parra may prefer to go after David Freese, whose OPS is .704 this season, with the changeup rather than facing Matt Carpenter, whose OPS is .855

Ahhh, MLB Scout, what would we do without you? Carpenter is batting leadoff while Freese is batting 5th. Too bad pitchers can't pick which batters to face, no? Unless Scout meant Matt ADAMS whose OPS is .805 coming into the game. Still, that's a pretty stupid mistake for a computer to make.

Ooh, I spoke too soon. Farrell let Peavy go back out there with a 7-2 lead and 105 pitches.
He walks Ichiro, and then they pinch hit Vernon Wells for Chris Stewart (whom the YES network candidly admits is now an "automatic out")
Wells singles, Ichiro jogs into third, and now Farrell pulls Peavy for Matt Thornton, top of the NYY lineup coming up.

Gardner clean single up the middle scores Ichiro.
Wells steals third! Fifth steal of the night for NYY! (And he had stolen 2B with Gardner earlier, but had to go back on the foul ball.)
(Odd that Wells would steal 3B but Gardner would not steal 2B at the same time? If they think this Lavarnaway guy is no good behind the plate - and Thornton is not really watching the runners - why is Gardner not also on the move? Did Brett miss the sign?)

Soriano good piece of hitting. Takes Tazawa the other way, with the shift on there was nobody at second base.
Again perhaps Red Sox are willing to give that up, but it's getting hot in here: BOS 7-5, 1 out, bot 7th.

Granderson doubles in a run, lines one off the RF wall that had a chance to get out.
7-6 now, with ARod to the plate, two doubles aleady tonight. (But you know ARod as a NYY, he's a bit of a choker in these situations?)

If those damned Yankees get back into the thick of the race at the 11th hour I swear I'm gonna burn down YFS. F@ck the Yankees!

Why are people surprised by this? They are a good team with a very good pitching staff. Yes, the offense was weak in the first half but they hung around thanks to the pitching and now the lineup is pretty decent.

I didn't expect A-Rod to be contributing as much after his layoff and based on remarks here from those who follow the Yankees closely I had written them off as done for the year. That is the quicksand basis for my reaction. Now they're playing a league-leading Boston team and this happens.

If those damned Yankees get back into the thick of the race at the 11th hour I swear I'm gonna burn down YFS. F@ck the Yankees!

I partly agree. But NYY is only 2.5 games behind Tampa for a wild card spot. 1 game up on CLE, 1.5 ahead of BAL. 18-12 in the last month, best record in the AL for that period, TB & CLE & BAL all under .500 in last month. Right before your eyes, it is happening. If that means you have to resort to wood matches, that's up to you. But it is happening.

Mariano pitching for the third straight game (after his first 2-inning appearance since 2011 last night) blows his sixth save of the year. Boston continues to grind it out, gets one off Riviera, ties the game and pushes it to extra innings.

Breslow spun around the first time and nobody was covering 2B. Then the next time Soriano had taken off early and they played catch until they finally tagged him out going back to 2B. Boston didn't even execute that rundown much above Little League level, agreed.

I'm pretty sure all Gameday can tell you is Riviera blew a save.
I enjoy a little context.
For example, Soriano's exploits on the basepaths in extra innings here. If you would enjoy a Gameday explanation of a pick off followed by a dropped ball, that results in a steal, and then Alfonso proceeds into another baserunning error...have at it, just put me on ignore.
Personally I appreciate the in-game chatter from other fans here. I like to know if a guy is limping, or lunging, or has a new beard.